The move comes as the Obama Administration pushes to provide more arms to the various non-ISIS rebel factions, on the notion that those rebels can be used against ISIS. That certainly doesn’t seem to be the plan as far as those rebels are concerned, though they will no doubt accept the US arms and, as usual, share them with ISIS.

Author: Jason Ditz

And in case they do find their "5000" willing to be equipped, payed and motivated to fight IS.. all the US will have is another mercenary army to fight its proxy wars. A group disconnected from their government (Assad/Alawites) and increasingly alienated from the Islamist majority of "la resistance". Therefore a group without future and meaning, although meaning will be provided by US taxpayers for the moment. It's the new Blackwater out of the ashes of failed policy. Also cheaper I suppose and even more shortsighted.

curmudgeonvt

Unfortunately, the optics for all those politicians who are demanding that the Administration arm and fund these "moderates" right before the elections put them in precarious positions of trying to defend funding (indirectly) the terrible enemy (ISIS) they want to fight "to the gates of hell." And rest assured, their political opponents will not shy from bringing up the inconsistencies, for political gain, of course.

On the other hand, they have no problem with the optics of arming and funding neo-Nazies in Ukraine…so I guess they figure the majority of Americans aren't paying attention anyway, so WTH, why not?!? After all, perpetual war is the goal. And doing the Israeli dirty work.

RIC

Whoops, that throws a wrench in the "support 'moderate rebels' fighting ISIS" plan. Seems the USG is having a war, and all of the invited guests are refusing to show up. What will the neocons / neolibs do if a substantial number of US troops – unwilling to die to support corporate profits and Israeli land grabbing – tell their officers to "go pack sand?" Are we about to gsee the answer to that old hippy conundrum "What if they gave a war, and nobody came?"

John Ellis

A moral war — But, can it be won by deadly force?

Our wars of aggression for plunder, our brutal imperialism, it is designed primarily to protect our right to capitalist competition, which is a paradise for high achievers. For example, one F36 fighter-jet may be traded to Saudi Arabia for $100 million worth of crude oil. In essence, to operate with no moral restrictions whatsoever, IMF loans designed to bankrupt under-developed countries and gain cheep labor and natural resources often for free.

A no morals society as opposed to the Islamic State, which is the absolute reverse. Our pay-day loans at 100% interest, as opposed to the Muslim concept that those blessed with wealth must loan it at no interest and not be allowed to use excessive wealth as a tool of slavery. Their no divorce, no abortion and no same sex marriage morality, as opposed to our pleasure to the maximum sports mentality.

So, two diametrically opposed systems of morality, both backed up by a deadly force most militarized and with the one most deadly bound to win.

And so, the ultimate goal being a society where no one enriches themselves upon the misery of another, why fight over it, why even talk about it, why not just do it.

Aarky

The Israelis must have just about moved Heaven and Earth to pull this one off. Remember that their long term goal was to have the US attack both Syria and Iran on their behalf. So getting the "moderate terrorists" to focus on fighting just the Assad government is going according to plan.

oddie

Times of Israel Sept 12 headline: Syrian rebels said to control most of the border with Israel (Golan)_UN evacuates equipment from main HQ into Israel __Dec 2012: Times of Israel: Michael Bassin:- (sub-head) Syrian rebels in Israel discussing Eli Cohen’s remains_“Syrian dissidents officers are present in the territory of Jordan to meet with Israeli officials to pave the way for an American-Zionist project in Syria and to protect the borders of the occupied Golan.” _http://www.timesofisrael.com/iraqs-maliki-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/__the Bassin who has 6 pages of articles in Times of Israel between Nov 2012-Oct 2013 would seem, after some digging, to be the same Bassin below. most likely candidate anyway: __AUDIO 4 MINS: 8 Sept: PRI: Murdered journalist Steven Sotloff was Jewish and Israeli — and here's how his friends tried to cover it up_One man recruited for the task was Michael Bassin, an American Jew based in _Tel Aviv who travels throughout the Arab Middle East as a trade _consultant…_All in all, Roman says, there were some 4,000 online mentions of Sotloff’s _Jewish and Israeli identity the group worked to remove… _http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-09-08/murdered-journalist-steven-sotloff-was-jewish-and-israeli-and-heres-why-no-one

redwood

"Ehud" Barack Obama should also sign a non-agression pact and stay out of the conflict and stand up to the Democrats as well as Republicans who say he isn't doing enough. That just won't happen.

atm

Taking sides in the fight between Shiat and Sunni is like taking sides with the Nazis or the Nazis, ultimately the goal of both sides as is to totally exterminate the other. Only a moron would get involved in that fight. Do we have to take sides in every fight? I cannot see how this will not someday come back to burn us.